Dr. Sylvia Gale is director of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at the University of Richmond. She joined the CCE in August 2009. She was the founding director of Imagining America’s Publicly Active Graduate Education Initiative (PAGE), and since 2009 has co-chaired IA’s initiative on “Assessing the Practices of Public Scholarship,” which explores and advances assessment practices aligned with the values that drive community-engaged work. She is committed to co-creating opportunities for transformative liberal arts learning far beyond traditional institutional boundaries, and has published on innovative assessment, engaged graduate education, and the power of institutional intermediaries to effect change. Before coming to UR, Sylvia worked to extend liberal arts learning to diverse communities through the Humanities Institute at UT-Austin.

Community Service

Co-chair, Imagining America's Research Committee

Co-chair, "Assessing the Practices of Public Scholarship" research group

“Turning the PAGE: Ten Years of Leadership for Engaged Graduate Education.” Co-authored with Adam Bush. Diversity & Democracy: A Publication of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. 18.1: 2015, 26-27.

I love Taza and Crossroads on the Southside; both places you can hang out with a book or a project all day.

What is your favorite place or thing to do in Richmond?

The James River is Richmond's jewel. I love its wildness, its vast network of trails, and the fact that you can legitimately get lost, at least for while, while exploring it. Favorite river access points include the 42nd Street rocks (accessible from the south side) and Texas Beach (from the north side).

What does civic engagement mean to you?

It means showing up as a member of your communities, as proactively as possible, with intention to listen, learn, and ultimately, contribute.

Education

Ph.D., University of Texas - Austin 2008English, with a concentration in rhetoric and composition